


Tender Is The Night

by congotsja



Category: Wayward Guide for the Untrained Eye (Tin Can Brothers)
Genre: Backstory, Canon Compliant, Comfort, F/F, Fluff, Late Night Conversations
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-27
Updated: 2020-10-27
Packaged: 2021-03-09 00:28:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,773
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27225814
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/congotsja/pseuds/congotsja
Summary: The forest loomed in front of Artemis Schue-Horyn. Big, impressive, foreboding, but also perfectly natural, thank you very much.
Relationships: Artemis Schue-Horyn/Madison Reynolds
Comments: 19
Kudos: 41





	Tender Is The Night

It was dark in Connor Creek. The forest loomed in front of Artemis Schue-Horyn. Big, impressive, foreboding, but also perfectly natural, thank you very much. She was grateful that her brother, Paul, was still fast asleep at _The Dead Canary_ , and didn’t know that she’d decided to come to the forest to explore. He had it in his mind that Connor Creek was full of werewolves, which to Artemis sounded ridiculous. She loved Paul, she really did, but he could be so naïve sometimes. She hadn’t had the heart to tell him that sometimes people were the real monsters yet. Maybe in the morning, after she’d explored the forest.

She edged closer; torch gripped tight in her hand. The cold air made her shiver, and Artemis wished that she’d brought a warmer coat to Connor Creek. Sheriff Madison had been wearing a wonderful coat when they’d arrived, and that had been in the middle of the day. It was a delightful olive colour, and the hood was lined with fur that seemed more and more appealing to Artemis as she headed further into the intimidating forest. Sheriff Madison was also the reason she was here.

Their first introduction had been an unusual one. Artemis had raised her arms to protect herself, Paul safely tucked behind her, when she’d heard the gunshots ring. She’d thought someone was trying to kill them, trying to stop them from solving the weird history of Connor Creek, but it had just been Madison doing some target practice for her job. She had been hidden in the trees, so far that neither Paul nor Artemis could see her. Artemis cursed the fact she hadn’t questioned why Madison was shooting from behind the trees. It had plagued her for the last few days and she knew that she had to discover more.

Artemis had always been a big fan of solving mysteries. By the age of ten, she was reading Sherlock Holmes to the best of her ability, and her mind constantly whirred with the possible solutions. Her mother had introduced her to Agatha Christie when she was twelve, and she’d been obsessed with solving things ever since. Paul hadn’t been as quick at deducting things as Artemis, but he supported her obsession, and they’d formed a mini detective club in their hometown by the age of fifteen. The only visitor they ever had was Dorian Vogue, a boy two years older than the twins who’d had the biggest crush on Artemis and did everything in his power to be near her. Artemis had never been interested in him in that way, though she sometimes suspected Paul liked Dorian more than he let on. Instead, she enjoyed the fact that she had two friends she could boss around as they solved important crimes, such as ‘who stole Peter’s rabbit’ and ‘which dog barked Mrs. Johnson’s cat up the tree’? It was a weird childhood, but with Paul alongside her, Artemis knew she would never change a thing.

A crack of a branch caught her attention, and Artemis found herself breathing heavily. The cold air made the hairs on her arms stand up, and she tried to calm herself down, thinking about Paul and what he would say to her in this moment to comfort her. He’d tell her she was the bravest twin sister that he could ask for and if anyone could enter the forest at this time of the night, it would be her. Artemis wished that he was next to her side, but they’d had a slight disagreement, and she couldn’t bring herself to wake him up and see his furious gaze. An angry Paul was a Paul that she wished never existed, and this time, she’d instigated his anger. It was her fault.

Artemis jumped as a strange wailing sound echoed around the forest, bouncing from each of the looming trees. It’s just the wind, she told herself, walking further in and glancing around with her torch. She couldn’t see anything too unusual. The forest was just like any other forest she’d been in before. Intimidating, big, wild, and calling for an adventure. She relaxed her shoulders and took a deep breath. Her worry had been for nothing.

“Artemis, as I live and breathe,” a friendly voice called out. “What are you doing in these old woods? Shouldn’t you be in bed right now?”

“Madison,” Artemis said, voice falling flat as she lifted her torch and aimed it in Madison’s direction. “What are you doing in the middle of the woods at three in the morning?”

“Same as you, I suppose,” Madison responded easily. Her cheerful voice grated on Artemis’ nerves. “I do a nightly check, each night. Well, you probably guessed that from the fact I said nightly. Of course you would. You’re Artemis Schue-Horyn! The best investigator Connor Creek’s ever seen!”

Artemis felt herself flushing as Madison babbled. Somehow, after losing her brother Ryan the first day Artemis and Paul had landed, Madison had kept her bubbly energy. Despite her misgivings, Artemis couldn’t find herself feeling fully suspicious of the young sheriff, and the longer she spoke, the harder it was for Artemis to remain indifferent to her.

“Thanks,” Artemis finally said, interrupting Madison’s babbling. The young sheriff couldn’t seem to stop talking once she’d started, and Artemis hated that she found the trait endearing. “Do you want to continue your check? With me, I mean.”

“Why, Artemis, I would love that,” Madison said, face positively beaming. “No one ever wants to do the nightly rounds with me. I don’t blame them. We can’t help fearing the dark sometimes here in Connor Creek, but it’s nice to have a hand.”

“I enjoy helping people,” Artemis admitted, brushing a strand of red hair behind her ear. 

“You’re helping me just by being here,” Madison admitted, face turned away from Artemis’.

The two walked in silence, flickering their torches around as they headed deeper into the forest. Artemis watched Sheriff Madison, whose hair was still tied up, and looked as neat as she had during their first meeting. It surprised her that Madison didn’t seem more upset, considering how her brother had died a horrific death barely two days ago. She took another look, and noted the redness of Madison’s eyes, the slight gleam at the bottom of her nose, and the forced smile. It didn’t take a detective like Artemis to realise that Madison wasn’t okay.

“I’m sorry about your brother,” Artemis said. She hated comforting people, but she knew that Paul would hound her if she didn’t even ask Madison how she was coping. She couldn’t imagine losing Paul. That would kill her. “He seemed like a good guy.”

“We didn’t agree on a lot of things,” Madison said, hesitantly, rubbing underneath her eye to stop the tears that Artemis could see forming. “But he was my brother. My best friend. I miss him. I swore to protect him when he was young and I failed. I’m the sheriff and I failed.”

“It wasn’t your fault,” Artemis said, though she couldn’t be sure. She didn’t know where Madison had been before discovering the body, but she couldn’t shake the feeling that Madison was innocent. Her cry had been genuine, a haunting wail that most siblings would produce on losing someone who meant the world to them. Artemis placed her hand on Madison’s shoulder. “I need you to know that. It wasn’t your fault.”

“Thanks, I guess,” Madison said, her usual cheerful tone ruined by the clear pain and sorrow she felt at losing her brother. “I wish I could believe that.”

“Well, I believe it,” Artemis said, offering Madison as sweet a smile as she could muster. “Isn’t that enough?”

Madison laughed. She wiped her eyes and stared back at Artemis. “I don’t care what anyone says,” she said at last. “I think you’re wonderful.”

Artemis glanced away from Madison’s eyes. She felt bashful all of a sudden which was a rare emotion for her. Madison was so genuine, and pretty, and nice that Artemis couldn’t help but feel flattered. “I know I don’t show it,” she admitted at long last, “but I think you’re wonderful too.”

Madison smiled and leaned forward until their foreheads were touching, and their breath intermingled. Artemis panicked for a second, before just letting it happen, enjoying the tenderness of the moment. She’d never been good with other people; that had been a Paul trait. But, in the silence of the night, she felt calm and safe, with Madison surrounding her. Protecting her, as was her duty as the sheriff of Connor Creek.

“Artemis,” Madison said, breaking the peaceful quiet. “Is it alright if I kiss you?”

Artemis paused as she thought. She knew it was a problem, getting involved with a prime suspect, but she couldn’t help but feel swept up by Madison’s sweet tone and manner. Madison was so gentle, and kind, and clearly liked Artemis for who she was, which few people did apart from Paul and her boss, Lesly. Most people just called her a busybody, a nosy soul, sometimes even worse things, but not Madison. Madison called her wonderful. Madison liked her. And, deep down, Artemis knew she liked Madison a lot too.

“Please,” she said, at last, and closed her eyes.

Madison leant down and Artemis felt lips touch her own. She felt Madison's arms wrap around her waist, pulling her closer as they kissed. The kiss was gentle, and kind, and somehow enthusiastic, and everything Artemis imagined a kiss from Madison would be. She smiled as the kiss continued, blissful and happy. For the first time, she didn’t care about solving the mystery.

Madison pulled away, and Artemis watched her go, blinking stupidly. Madison’s face was the brightest red she’d ever seen, and Artemis grinned as she realised she was the reason Madison was so flushed. She had done that. Artemis Schue-Horyn had flustered someone. Paul would never believe it.

“I better get going,” Madison said, voice high-pitched and nervous. “The nightly checks are done, I guess it’s time to go back to bed. You should go back to bed too. I’ll walk you back. If that’s alright with you, of course?”

“Madison, Madison,” Artemis said, interrupting the young woman as she spoke. “I’d love that.”

Madison smiled at her, and Artemis thought it was the prettiest smile she’d ever seen. She took Madison’s hand in her own as they headed out of the forest together, and Madison’s palm felt nice in her hand, as if she belonged there.

Maybe coming to Connor Creek hadn’t been such a bad idea after all.


End file.
